A review on floral scents and pigments in cucurbits: Their biosynthesis and role in flower visitor interactions

Barman, Monica; Tenhaken, Raimund; Dötterl, Stefan

doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2023.112402

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Through experimentation, we have substantiated its capacity to catalyse the final methylation step in the biosynthesis of the pivotal floral scent attractant, 1,4-DMB, utilizing 4-MP as the substrate. Considering the importance of 1,4-DMB in attracting both pollinators and florivores to flowers [ 8 , 30 ] enhanced comprehension of this enzyme and its substrate holds promise for ecological insights and advancements in plant breeding endeavours.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additional, 1,4-DMB is a predominant volatile from the flowers of commercially significant Cucurbita species, such as various varieties of C. pepo and C. maxima (Fig. 1 A; [ 25 – 30 ]). Many Cucurbita species and closely related cucurbits are monoecious plants, featuring separate male and female flowers [ 31 , 32 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pollinators are mainly bees that play a crucial role in transferring pollen from male to female flowers [ 31 , 33 , 34 ], and 1,4-DMB is likely involved in attracting them (e.g. Apis mellifera , Bombus terrestris ) to the flowers [ 18 , 30 , 35 ], as was recently shown for a florivorous beetle that also visits Cucurbita flowers [ 30 , 36 – 38 ]. Despite its pivotal role in pollinator attraction, the enzymes and substrates orchestrating the formation of this volatile compound remain unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A novel O-methyltransferase Cp4MP-OMT catalyses the final step in the biosynthesis of the volatile 1,4-dimethoxybenzene in pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) flowers

Hoepflinger,

Barman,

Dötterl

et al. 2024

BMC Plant Biol

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Background Floral scents play a crucial role in attracting insect pollinators. Among the compounds attractive to pollinators is 1,4-dimethoxybenzene (1,4-DMB). It is a significant contributor to the scent profile of plants from various genera, including economically important Cucurbita species. Despite its importance, the biosynthetic pathway for the formation of 1,4-DMB was not elucidated so far. Results In this study we showed the catalysis of 1,4-DMB in the presence of 4-methoxyphenol (4-MP) by protein extract from Styrian oil pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) flowers. Based on this finding, we identified a novel O-methyltransferase gene, Cp4MP-OMT, whose expression is highly upregulated in the volatile-producing tissue of pumpkin flowers when compared to vegetative tissues. OMT activity was verified by purified recombinant Cp4MP-OMT, illustrating its ability to catalyse the methylation of 4-MP to 1,4-DMB in the presence of cofactor SAM (S-(5′-adenosyl)-L-methionine). Conclusions Cp4MP-OMT is a novel O-methyltransferase from C. pepo, responsible for the final step in the biosynthesis of the floral scent compound 1,4-DMB. Considering the significance of 1,4-DMB in attracting insects for pollination and in the further course fruit formation, enhanced understanding of its biosynthetic pathways holds great promise for both ecological insights and advancements in plant breeding initiatives.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A novel O-methyltransferase Cp4MP-OMT catalyses the final step in the biosynthesis of the volatile 1,4-dimethoxybenzene in pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) flowers

Hoepflinger,

Barman,

Dötterl

et al. 2024

BMC Plant Biol

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“…They serve as a critical criterion for assessing cut flowers [ 3 ]. Moreover, FSs play pivotal ecological roles, including the attraction of pollinators, and the enhancement of plant resistance [ 4 , 5 ]. The primary constituents of FSs encompass terpenes, phenylpropanoids/benzenes, and fatty acid derivatives [ 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiological and Biochemical Analysis Revealing the Key Factors Influencing 2-Phenylethanol and Benzyl Alcohol Production in Crabapple Flowers

Peng,

Tao,

et al. 2024

Plants

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Floral scent (FS) plays a crucial role in the ecological functions and industrial applications of plants. However, the physiological and metabolic mechanisms underlying FS formation remain inadequately explored. Our investigation focused on elucidating the differential formation mechanisms of 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) and benzyl alcohol (BA) by examining seven related enzyme concentrations and the content of soluble sugar, soluble proteins, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), as well as the C/N ratio. The findings revealed that the peak content of 2-PE in M. ‘Praire Rose’ and BA in M. ‘Lollipop’ occurred during the end flowering stage (S4) and flowering stage (S3) periods, respectively. The enzyme concentration change trends of phenylpyruvate decarboxylase (PDL), phenylacetaldehyde reductase (PAR), soluble protein, C, N, and C/N ratio changes during the S3-S4 period in M. ‘Praire Rose’ and M. ‘Lollipop’ were entirely opposite. Correlation and PCA analysis demonstrated that the content of CYP79D73 (a P450) and N, and the C/N ratio were key factors in 2-PE production in M. ‘Praire Rose’. The production of BA in M. ‘Lollipop’ was more influenced by the content of phenylacetaldehyde synthase (PAAS), CYP79D73, and soluble sugar. As CYP79D73 exits oppositely in correlation to 2-PE (M. ‘Praire Rose’) and BA (M. ‘Lollipop’), it is hypothesized that CYP79D73 was postulated as the primary factor contributing to the observed differences of 2-PE (M. ‘Praire Rose’) and BA (M. ‘Lollipop’) formation. These results carry significant implications for crabapple aromatic flower breeding and the essential oil industry etc.

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Negative and sex‐specific effects of drought on flower production, resources and pollinator visitation, but not on floral scent in monoecious Cucurbita pepo

Barman,

Tenhaken,

Dötterl

2024

New Phytologist

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Summary The globally changing climatic condition is increasing the incidences of drought in several parts of the world. This is predicted and already shown to not only impact plant growth and flower development, but also plant–pollinator interactions and the pollination success of entomophilous plants. However, there is a large gap in our understanding of how drought affects the different flowers and pollen transfer among flowers in sexually polymorphic species. Here, we evaluated in monoecious Styrian oil pumpkin, and separately for female and male flowers, the responses of drought stress on flower production, petal size, nectar, floral scent and visitation by bumblebee pollinators. Drought stress adversely affected all floral traits studied, except floral scent. Although both flower sexes were adversely affected by drought stress, the effects were more severe on female flowers, with most of the female flowers even aborted before opening. The drought had negative effects on floral visitation by the pollinators, which generally preferred female flowers. Overall, our study highlights that the two flower sexes of a monoecious plant species are differently affected by drought stress and calls for further investigations to better understand the cues used by the pollinators to discriminate against male flowers and against flowers of drought‐stressed plants.

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A review on floral scents and pigments in cucurbits: Their biosynthesis and role in flower visitor interactions

Cited by 4 publications

References 110 publications

A novel O-methyltransferase Cp4MP-OMT catalyses the final step in the biosynthesis of the volatile 1,4-dimethoxybenzene in pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) flowers

A novel O-methyltransferase Cp4MP-OMT catalyses the final step in the biosynthesis of the volatile 1,4-dimethoxybenzene in pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) flowers

Physiological and Biochemical Analysis Revealing the Key Factors Influencing 2-Phenylethanol and Benzyl Alcohol Production in Crabapple Flowers

Negative and sex‐specific effects of drought on flower production, resources and pollinator visitation, but not on floral scent in monoecious Cucurbita pepo

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